Chicago Summer: The Good and Bad (and these are all *really* difficult problems, mind you)

It’s summer in Chicago. It’s been arguably called one of the best places to be during this time (which, I do agree with). But, as I was similarly saying in a recent post related to Festival Season in Chicago (which does go hand and hand with Summer), there are always some positives and negatives to every situation.

Positive: You are able to walk everywhere without donning your just-so-adorable North Face Parka.

Negative: By the time you arrive at your destination, you are sweaty enough to look like a UFC fighter finishing a match and what the hell was your point in drying your hair anyways since you now look like Axl Rose.

Postiive: Lots of tourists- good for Chicago’s economy?

Negative: Trying to get through Water Tower is now a sport. I need a helmet and football pads to runningback my way through the groups that loiter in the first level area. And yes, this is "Michigan Street" and the Cheesecake Factory is right over there. (Disclaimer: I do love going to Chili's. Don't judge.)

Positive: I sold my car so now I don’t have to worry about parking anywhere this summer. No tickets!

Negative: Getting on that one CTA Red Line car with no air conditioning where, of course, someone has to be eating a delicious meal of god knows what that makes the whole car smell like someone died. Or, getting in a cab when it’s 99 degrees but there is no air conditioning available (see Axl Rose reference above). I will pay you the extra two bucks to put it on. My date won’t find it very becoming when I show up looking like Steven Seagal.

Positive: The pool in my building is open!

Negative: There are now more restrictions to attend the pool than the TSA has for boarding flights. (Disclaimer…this also may be partially my fault. Sorry for having 18 people over every weekend 6 years ago. Whoops.)

Positive: The pool in my building is open!

Negative: It’s time to put down the pizza puff from Five Faces and hit the treadmill.

Positive: It is not snowing 23 inches and every road is shut down.

Negative: There is so much construction being done that it may as well be snowing 23 inches because everything is, in fact, shut down..

Positive: It’s outdoor patio season. Yay!

Negative: It will be an hour wait to sit down anywhere and you will have to deal with a myriad of asshats once you sit. “Hey bro, another shot of Patron?” No.

Positive: You live at Clark and Division during the summer.

Negative: You live at Clark and Division during the summer.

With all this being said, I love my city and I love Chicago summers. I’ll just walk, wear a hat, and eat some carrots and celery when I get home from whatever outdoor patio I was hanging out at from now on.